"THE MESSAGE OF KARIWIIO"

Reprinted with permission from Traditional Teachings by the Native North American Travelling College

…continued from last week

THE ARTICLES OF KARIWIIO

CONDUCT OF PEOPLE

NOW WE WILL TELL YOU OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS

A man is walking about the earth and is always boasting about how many women he has been with. Now the messengers tell us that there will be many men and women in the future who will be boasting in this manner and Sonkwaiatison tells us this is not right for there will never be any happiness for these people and they will fall flat on their faces, growing old and lonely in their self-made miseries.

NOW WE WILL TELL OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS CONCERNING A FAMILY.

A woman who has a fairly large family is preparing a meal and she puts the food on the table for her family to eat, when one of the children comes in and tells her that there is a neighbor here to visit her. The woman quickly removes all the food from the table and hides it in the cupboard. The woman who came to visit realizes this woman feels very uneasy and knows that she has hidden all her food. Now the messengers tell us that this woman has done wrong. Sonkwaiatison had put food here on earth for everyone and we are to share with one another.

NOW WE WILL TELL OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS ALSO CONCERNING THE FAMILY.

This woman who also has a large family comes out of her house one day and finds that her neighbors have a good garden. So she goes without permission and takes some food for her family to eat. The messengers now tell us that this is wrong. They say that the food that this woman took and by feeding it to her family, she is giving them fire and it’s burning their insides. Now we will tell you that in the future whenever anybody sees another person’s garden, they should ask permission if they want or need food from that garden or ask if they can trade until their crop ripens and at that time they will return the food borrowed. We are not to go and take the crops without the owner’s permission.

NOW WE WILL TELL YOU OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS ABOUT A PERSON OF GOOD LOOKS, GOOD BODY AND FINE CLOTHES WHO DOES NOT RESPECT AND PUTS DOWN OTHERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME THINGS.

Other people may feel that such a person is doing wrong. Everyone had been given a gift of one kind or another by Sonkwaiatison and they should be respectful of these things and should have respect of other people. Now the messengers tell us that this is not the will of Sonkwaiatison, he does not want things to be like this. We are to love one another and it does not matter what we look like and how we dress. Just as the animals are all the same to us, like the deer, we are unable to tell them apart but Sonkwaiatison made humans look different so we will be able to tell one another apart. These people who have the gift of good appearance should thank Sonkwaiatison each day and not judge others.

NOW WE TELL YOU OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS ABOUT A WOMAN WHO PUNISHES HER CHILDREN UNJUSTLY.

The mother kicks her children when she punishes them. The messengers say that this is wrong and Sonkwaiatison wants such practices to stop. If the children are bad we are to discipline them in the following way: we are to take the children to the river and dunk them into the water a couple of times but before doing this we will ask the children one last time if they will obey and do what we ask of them. If they should agree we are not to immerse them into the water. If this way does not work then we are to use the red willow and strike them with it but before we pick this red willow whip we are to burn tobacco and explain what will happen if they continue to behave in such a manner.

NOW WE WILL TELL OF ANOTHER ABOUT A MOTHER WHO GETS INVOLVED IN HER CHILDREN’S FIGHTS.

While her children are playing with friends, they start to fight with each other. Now the mother gets angry and goes to the other children’s home and argues with their parents. While the parents are arguing the children have mended their differences. The messengers now tell us that as parents we are not to get involved in the arguments and fights of our children. Many bad feelings could be created among the people and this would make Sonkwaiatison unhappy.

NOW WE WILL TELL YOU OF ANOTHER TO TELL YOUR RELATIONS.

Sonkwaiatison has put men on earth who will be big and strong and these men will begin to boast of their strength. Now the messengers tell us that these men were put here to help other people in any way possible that might require their strength. These men are not to go and boast about their gift that Sonkwaiatison gave them to help their people.

Continued next week...